By ditching usernames, OKCupid is removing a crucial protective barrier

Days after deleting an OKCupid profile that included personal information, Reddit user Drinkscocoaandreadslogged onto Facebook to find an unpleasant surprise. “I had like three guys find me on Facebook within two days, screaming at me for leaving mid-conversation/not ever acknowledging their initial message,” the Redditor wrote in a thread about OKCupid. “One of them also added a few of my friends before I figured out what was happening and got him blocked.”

Drinkscocoaandreads is one of many Reddit users reacting to OKCupid’s recent announcement that it will ditch usernames in favor of a real-name policy. “It’s because, like the recent goodbye we said to AIM screen names, it’s time to keep up with the times,” OKCupid explained. “We’ve…